• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Your Visual Journal

Journaling + Sketchnotes + Bullet Journal Ideas

  • Start here
  • Topics
    • Art Journaling
    • Bullet Journaling
    • Digital Journaling
    • Faith Journaling
    • Gratitude Journaling
    • How to Journal
    • Journaling Supplies
    • Motivation and Inspiration
    • Peek inside a Journal
    • Journal Prompts
    • Planners and Planning
    • Sketchnotes
    • Travel Journals
  • Favorite Supplies
  • About
  • Take a Course
  • Contact
Want to know a secret? Every gorgeous spread in a journal photographed to perfection is surrounded on either side by hundreds of other hideous pages. Here's why its okay to Instagram your ugly bullet journal (even if it’s a hot mess)

Why it’s Okay to Instagram Your Ugly Bullet Journal (even if it’s a hot mess)

Last updated on April 12th, 2022 • Bullet Journaling

You’ve clicked on the inspirational links. You’ve followed bloggers for their time-proven advice. You’ve watched YouTube tutorials–but still, your Bullet Journal remains a hot mess.

It isn’t that you haven’t tried. 

You’ve even attempted brush marker lettered headings, for Pete’s sake. 

But your lines aren’t straight, the balance of your layout veers asymmetrically, and even when you’ve finally crafted your bujo to a point where you are happy with its set-up, the minute you try to use it in real life, everything goes completely off the rails.

Your handwriting is sloppy. You’ve crammed too much info into a margin. And that adorable leaf you tried to draw in the corner of a page looks like it was sketched by a six-year-old.

It’s a recipe for frustration. 

The one secret that Bullet Journalers on Instagram hide.

Want to know a secret? 

Every gorgeous spread in a journal photographed to perfection is surrounded on either side by hundreds of other hideous pages. (Unless you are Boho Berry. I’m pretty sure all of her spreads are amazing.) 

Any Bullet Journal blogger using their notebooks in real life experiences  scribbles and scratch-outs and WTF-was-I-thinking moments. 

Of course, it would be lovely to sit in front of two blank pages at your desk with a cup of tea and a newly sharpened set of Prismacolors close at hand. But those opportunities are often rare.

Most of the time your bujo is crammed into a bag with a zillion other things, and hastily pulled out so you can check off a completed task, find an appointment time, or calm your panic when you suddenly wonder, “Did I forget my best friend’s birthday last week?”

So, why do we hide the mistakes? 

Your lines aren’t straight, the balance of the layout is off, and even when you get your bujo to a spot where you are happy, the minute you use it in real life, it completely goes off the rails. What if it doesn't matter?
Your lines aren’t straight, the balance of the layout is off, and even when you get your bujo to a spot where you are happy, the minute you use it in real life, it completely goes off the rails. What if it doesn’t matter?

Reason #1: For the same reason we wear makeup and bras. 

I realize this may not come as a shock, but my eyelashes aren’t this long, and the girls might not be quite as perky without a little help. We wear makeup and bras because everyone else wears them; we struggle to feel comfortable in our own skin, and compare ourselves to others, creating a standard that requires a little bit “more” than what we are. 

Let’s be real. No one wants to just roll out of bed and “be themselves.” We want to be ourselves, plus 20%. Perfect Bullet Journal spreads on Instagram are like walking out the door with freshly made-up faces and a push-up bra in the morning. It’s fabulous for a minute, but that face is going to end up on a Kleenex by the trashcan sixteen hours later, and that bra will be hanging on the back of a chair within 5 minutes of getting home.) 

We want to look a little prettier than we are, and we want our Bullet Journals to look that way too! 

Reason #2: We’re afraid our teacher is going to yell at us. 

For most of us, the last time we sat at a desk to write something longhand, we were in elementary school.

I still remember crying one day in kindergarten, because I couldn’t draw a capital T and was terrified of what would happen next when I’d erased a mistake so vigorously I’d torn a hole in the paper. (My teacher was awesome. She told me it was okay, even though it clearly wasn’t. THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE PAPER!!!) 

We have all kinds of mental associations with having our papers judged and found wanting. Just as we used to  compare our work to that of the kid next to us, weighing whether or not ours would fall short, we tend to compare our bujo spreads to those of others we admire. It’s hard to get over that.

And so we put our inventiveness out there for a grade, cherishing every little heart on our Instagram post. 

Reason #3: If you see all the pages, you will see the crazy. 

The Bullet Journal pages we aspire to create feel peaceful. They are simple. There is white space. They offer a sense of control. 

But the day-to-day pages? The ones with coffee spilled on them and worn with use? Well, that’s where the real thinking happens. 

Our brains are messy! Our thoughts don’t fit into straight lines with embellished edges. We spill reflections onto paper, draw lines to connect related thoughts, and sketch bubbles around disparate thoughts. We also think so much faster than we write – so of course sometimes we have to catch up–and a page can look disorganized and messy when we’ve forgotten to put a header on a page and wind up squishing it in later.We fear posting the less perfect pages because we will appear less than perfect.

Why we should let those reasons go and share our ugly bullet journals.

#1. It lets us know we’re not alone (which lowers our stress).

It’s the worst when you feel like everyone else has their sh*t together except for you. 

And even though you know it’s counterproductive to compare, you do. (And then you wind up launching an endless litany of accusations at yourself.)

It’s ridiculous, but it happens. A lot. (I completely want to disable this feature in my brain, but I can’t find the settings to do it.) 

When we see another’s mess, we feel better – because we know we aren’t the only one not getting everything right the first time. It blissfully lowers the bar.

#2. Because your dad’s hammer had paint on it. 

Bullet Journals are a tool. And just like any other tool, one that’s in pristine condition is one that hasn’t been used in real life. 

Tools are the most effective when you use them, and aren’t being overly cautious with them. After all, it’s never about the tool itself, it’s about what the tool can do for you. Hammers put nails in things; when they’re not hitting nails nails, they just take up space.

The most interesting tools aren’t on hardware store shelves but on real work benches in real life. 

Your ugly Bullet Journal pages have that kind of beauty.

#3. You need the insight.

Seeing how others use their Bullet Journals–in all their messy ingloriousness–gives you insight into how people think on paper. And that has value. 

It’s not about an artistically detailed list of movies we’ve seen. It’s a step toward deciding how you are going to finish a project, remember to do things, or balance your limited resources of time, money, and energy. 

Watching others pull that off is helpful.

Not only that, but it’s inspiring!

(And why wouldn’t you want to be a source of inspiration?)

Here’s the thing: Bullet Journals don’t care when they are ugly. Only you do. 

Bullet Journals are a tool. And one that’s in pristine condition is one that hasn’t been used in real life. Here's the true value in Ugly Bujos!
Bullet Journals are a tool. And one that’s in pristine condition is one that hasn’t been used in real life. Here’s the true value in Ugly Bujos!

It’s fun to look through Instagram and get inspired. There are ideas for adding a little extra to our lives and planning It gives us something to aspire to and helps us add that plus 20%. 

But seeing photos of “normal” Bullet Journals can hold out its own kind of inspiration. (C’mon, you know you want to see some of this on your Pinterest boards.) 

Ugly is real. 

Ugly is powerful.

And most of all…ugly is still getting stuff done.

Wouldn’t it feel great to embrace it? Let’s take over a hashtag right now.   Because what’s been posted with the #uglybujo hashtag to date isn’t nearly ugly enough. Find your ugliest pages and post them now. (I only needed to flip open to find mine!)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by CathyHutchison | VisualJournal (@cathy.hutchison)


Want a free e-book on Bullet Journal Ideas? Subscribe and  download to browse at your leisure. 

About Cathy Hutchison

Cathy Hutchison helps people get more joy, meaning, and freedom in a world of demands through the practice of visual journaling.

  • Get social

You may also like

  • Why Your Morning Routine Isn’t Sticking (and What to Do About It)
  • How to get started with minimalist bullet journal spreads
  • Mom brain is real! 5 ways a journal can help you survive it.
Previous
Bullet Journal Ideas for 2023
Next
Journal App | 23 Digital Journal Tools (Sorted by Your Journaling Style)

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Fager Dam

    08/06/2019 at 3:04 PM

    I love seeing others ugly pages and how the bujo really works. But I have so much private and confidential information in my bujo that unfortunetly, I cant share it on social media.

    Reply

Leave a comment Cancel reply

Footer

Follow me on Instagram

cathy.hutchison

Cathy helps people banish overwhelm,
boost creativity 🎨
and reconnect with their ♥️
through visual journaling. 🖌
Get the free Quickstart guide 📗 here

CathyHutchison | VisualJournal
Simple can be beautiful. A small doodled flower. A Simple can be beautiful. A small doodled flower. An underline of color. Your #bulletjournal can be as elaborate as you like, but our lives are complex. #Simplicity feels good.
#Sketchnotes help me manage my focus and stay enga #Sketchnotes help me manage my focus and stay engaged in meetings.
I love the A5 size journals because they can go ev I love the A5 size journals because they can go everywhere with me! #journaling #leuchtturm1917 #yourvisualjournal
This morning I received an email from @songdance.c This morning I received an email from @songdance.co with a link to a song. I had no idea how much I needed to hear these words. #journaling #yourvisualjournal #bulletjournal #artjournal #neocolor2
Making my inner 7 year old happy with sealing wax. Making my inner 7 year old happy with sealing wax. #journaling #stationery #artjournaling #sealingwax
I bought something that I wanted SO BAD when I was I bought something that I wanted SO BAD when I was seven years old. 

I realized that now that I'm a grown up I could just buy it. 

On Amazon. 

#sealingwax #journaling #artjournaling #yourvisualjournal
I love learning about the authentic fascinations o I love learning about the authentic fascinations of the people in my world. The obscure hobbies they love. The ideas they just can't stop thinking about. The things they pour time (and money) into for no reason except that it gives them joy .

As you jump into 2023, I highly recommend purchasing a #notebook that you can take with you everywhere to feed this part of your life . Write down your inspirations. Capture ideas. Develop thoughts by reviewing them periodically. (And definitely scribble doodles in the margins--that's an important part.)

Engaging a #journaling practice--whatever that looks like for you--can give space for the quirky, beautiful, creative part of you to grow. And as it turns out, #visualthinking in a #journal is my personal, random fascination.

#yourvisualjournal
#bujo #bujoideas #journaling #artjournaling #sketchnotes #bulletjournal #dotjournal #leuchtturm1917
I just did my 2022 annual review—a practice I le I just did my 2022 annual review—a practice I learned from @michalroots . 

As one part of this, I wrote the sentences that jumped out at me from my 2022 journals as I went page by page. It left me with a sense of what the year was about and gave me an appreciation for the incredible beauty of friends, creativity, inspiration, and big ideas. 

I also looked at my vision board to see what happened, and what didn’t. For the things that didn’t happen, I gave some heart time to figure out the level that I actually want them (and learned it was low.) The things that happened had a lot of desire behind them. (It was an interesting thing to observe.) 

If you want to take Michal’s course, DM him for the link. I found it a valuable process that I will continue going forward.
#journaling #yourvisualjournal #artjournaling #bulletjournal #bujoinspiration
Do you create a #visionboard each year? The latest Do you create a #visionboard each year? The latest post at YourVisualJournal.com dives into how to create one in your journal. #journaling #artjournaling
Happy thanksgiving 🍁 Happy thanksgiving 🍁
Brush markers make my heart happy. #brushmarker #t Brush markers make my heart happy. #brushmarker #tombowdualbrushpens #bulletjournal #bujo #yourvisualjournal
Brush markers are easy to use, and putting a few d Brush markers are easy to use, and putting a few doodles at the bottom of your todo list makes it more engaging for your brain. This whole thing was quick to draw. (Mostly circles, a rectangle, and a few lines.) Coloring in with #brushmarkers was fast and easy. 

#yourvisualjournal #bulletjournal #artjournaling #sketchnotes #tombowdualbrushpens
Load More Follow on Instagram

Disclosures

Some links on this site are affiliate links and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The author receives a  small (really small) commission if you happen to buy something.  Funds are used to support journaling supplies & four crazy sweet Aussies who bark for treats every time I come in the door. (To be fair, I have a pattern of giving in to them.) I write about all kinds of journaling, and if Bullet Journaling is your thing, I’m here to support you. But if you want to go deep, go to the original source–Ryder Carroll, who created the system, and started it all at bulletjournal.com. I use the method daily which is why I started writing about it here.
  • Privacy Policy
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

© 2023 Cathy Hutchison • Theme by MG